This lesson overall lasts for about 45 minutes beginning with each student researching their own specific dinosaur. The goal for this lesson is to “have students use pre-writing, drafting, revising, editing, and critiquing to produce final drafts of written products” (W-2-10). Also “In informational writing (reports or procedures only), students demonstrate use of a range of elaboration strategies by...including details/information relevant to topic and/or focus” (W-2-8.1).
The purpose of this lesson is to make sure students use books and websites to find information about their particular dinosaur. Also students will record the information they find in their own words. In addition students will be able to write notes in phrases and make sentences.
II. The Learning Environment
The classroom is filled with color and life, having many pictures and posters hanging on the walls. The room is very neat, organized, and looks at though things are able to be found easily. There is a carpet in the front of the room where students often sit when having group discussions or reading a book. Located directly in front of the carpet is a chair where the teacher sits while she gives a lesson, always facing the students. Behind the teachers chair is a chalk board where the teacher writes as she talks during class to help visual learners comprehend. The students each have there own desk, which are grouped together with two to four students. The teacher interacts with the students by asking them different questions to remind them of previous projects they have completed. Then the teacher has the students interact with one another by talking to a partner about what they want to know about the dinosaurs. To further engage the students in the lesson, the teacher has each student ask a question about what they want to find out about their dinosaurs. When the students were finding facts about their dinosaur, the teacher walked around making sure the students were on the right tract, and not struggling for help. While sitting on the carpet, the students followed the class rules by not talking and only answering questions when called on, and when the teacher asked them to.
III. The Learning Activities
This lesson involves the students researching the dinosaur of their choice. They used different dinosaur books, handouts about each dinosaur, their writing notebooks, sticky notes, chart paper, and markers in order to complete this project. The teacher first asked the students what previous research projects they did. Then the teacher reminds them that in those projects, they were given exactly what they had to research. However, in this project the students had to come up with the questions. Next the teacher had the students turn to there partner and talk about what they want to learn about their dinosaur. After the students talked to one another, the teacher wrote on the board one question from each student, which would be used as questions they would have to research. The students then went to there seats and used the different sources to find information on the questions they created. They used sticky notes in order to keep track of all of their notes. Before they started to investigate the information, the teacher had the entire class say aloud that they will restate the information in their own words. The teacher met with every student, making sure they were able to find all of the facts they needed, and were able to put it in their own words. Half way through the lesson, the teacher stopped and asked if any student was having trouble.
IV. Assessment Strategies/Items
At the beginning of the lesson, the teacher assessed the students by asking them questions about previous projects. This shows the teacher what the students remember about the format of the projects they have already finished. In addition it will help the students find all the information they need, using the concepts from previous projects as well..
During the lesson the teacher assesses the students by walking around and making sure the students are all writing the information they found in their own words. Half way through the lesson, the teacher asks the students how to find each dinosaur in the different books. This is a way for the teacher to find out if there are any students who are having difficulties finding the information, and not up to speed with the rest of the class.
At the end of this lesson, the teacher had the students share one interesting fact they learned about their dinosaur. This assesses the students to see if they were able to find the information, shows how they were able to restate the information into their own words, and overall shows what they learned from the dinosaur research lesson.
I think that this lesson on dinosaurs was successful in having students combine their previous knowledge on how to research a specific topic and new skills they just learned. Also the interaction between the teacher and the students was very effective. I think the teacher going around and sitting with each student is a great way for the teacher to make sure each student is on track. Having the students come up with the questions they have to research, I feel is a good way for the students to be involved in the actual lesson being given by the teacher. - stacilla
I really enjoyed this partuclar lesson plan that was designed for the children so they could learn about dinosoars. I liked the fact that they made up their own questions because that made them think a little more about their research and where they were going to find their answers. I thought it was also interesting how they had many resources and different things to use throughout this project so they wouldn't get bored from one thing and just not want to finish the project. It was also a good idea to have the kids work in partners so that if one gets off track, they can help each other stayed focused and complete the assignment. I feel that with this dinosoar activity the children of this classroom will walk away with a lot more knowledge than they came in with about one particular dinosoar. - jacka88
Title: 2nd Grade English - Dinosaur Research
Authors:
1. Stacey Sanger2. Jaclyn Augustine
I. Standard Benchmark(s) and Learning Objective
This lesson overall lasts for about 45 minutes beginning with each student researching their own specific dinosaur. The goal for this lesson is to “have students use pre-writing, drafting, revising, editing, and critiquing to produce final drafts of written products” (W-2-10). Also “In informational writing (reports or procedures only), students demonstrate use of a range of elaboration strategies by...including details/information relevant to topic and/or focus” (W-2-8.1).
The purpose of this lesson is to make sure students use books and websites to find information about their particular dinosaur. Also students will record the information they find in their own words. In addition students will be able to write notes in phrases and make sentences.
II. The Learning Environment
The classroom is filled with color and life, having many pictures and posters hanging on the walls. The room is very neat, organized, and looks at though things are able to be found easily. There is a carpet in the front of the room where students often sit when having group discussions or reading a book. Located directly in front of the carpet is a chair where the teacher sits while she gives a lesson, always facing the students. Behind the teachers chair is a chalk board where the teacher writes as she talks during class to help visual learners comprehend. The students each have there own desk, which are grouped together with two to four students. The teacher interacts with the students by asking them different questions to remind them of previous projects they have completed. Then the teacher has the students interact with one another by talking to a partner about what they want to know about the dinosaurs. To further engage the students in the lesson, the teacher has each student ask a question about what they want to find out about their dinosaurs. When the students were finding facts about their dinosaur, the teacher walked around making sure the students were on the right tract, and not struggling for help. While sitting on the carpet, the students followed the class rules by not talking and only answering questions when called on, and when the teacher asked them to.
III. The Learning Activities
This lesson involves the students researching the dinosaur of their choice. They used different dinosaur books, handouts about each dinosaur, their writing notebooks, sticky notes, chart paper, and markers in order to complete this project. The teacher first asked the students what previous research projects they did. Then the teacher reminds them that in those projects, they were given exactly what they had to research. However, in this project the students had to come up with the questions. Next the teacher had the students turn to there partner and talk about what they want to learn about their dinosaur. After the students talked to one another, the teacher wrote on the board one question from each student, which would be used as questions they would have to research. The students then went to there seats and used the different sources to find information on the questions they created. They used sticky notes in order to keep track of all of their notes. Before they started to investigate the information, the teacher had the entire class say aloud that they will restate the information in their own words. The teacher met with every student, making sure they were able to find all of the facts they needed, and were able to put it in their own words. Half way through the lesson, the teacher stopped and asked if any student was having trouble.
IV. Assessment Strategies/Items
At the beginning of the lesson, the teacher assessed the students by asking them questions about previous projects. This shows the teacher what the students remember about the format of the projects they have already finished. In addition it will help the students find all the information they need, using the concepts from previous projects as well..During the lesson the teacher assesses the students by walking around and making sure the students are all writing the information they found in their own words. Half way through the lesson, the teacher asks the students how to find each dinosaur in the different books. This is a way for the teacher to find out if there are any students who are having difficulties finding the information, and not up to speed with the rest of the class.
At the end of this lesson, the teacher had the students share one interesting fact they learned about their dinosaur. This assesses the students to see if they were able to find the information, shows how they were able to restate the information into their own words, and overall shows what they learned from the dinosaur research lesson.
I think that this lesson on dinosaurs was successful in having students combine their previous knowledge on how to research a specific topic and new skills they just learned. Also the interaction between the teacher and the students was very effective. I think the teacher going around and sitting with each student is a great way for the teacher to make sure each student is on track. Having the students come up with the questions they have to research, I feel is a good way for the students to be involved in the actual lesson being given by the teacher.
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I really enjoyed this partuclar lesson plan that was designed for the children so they could learn about dinosoars. I liked the fact that they made up their own questions because that made them think a little more about their research and where they were going to find their answers. I thought it was also interesting how they had many resources and different things to use throughout this project so they wouldn't get bored from one thing and just not want to finish the project. It was also a good idea to have the kids work in partners so that if one gets off track, they can help each other stayed focused and complete the assignment. I feel that with this dinosoar activity the children of this classroom will walk away with a lot more knowledge than they came in with about one particular dinosoar. -
SBLD Eval Stacy JaclynA